Israeli occupation carried out a wide-scale aggression on Gaza early on Tuesday, killing 13 Palestinians including three senior Islamic Jihad commanders.
Al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad’s military wing, pronounced the martyrdom of commanders Khalil Al-Bahitini, Tareq Ezzeddine and Jihad Ghannam along with members of their families in several strikes that targeted a number of sites in Gaza City, Rafah and Khan Yunis.
Four women and four children were among people martyred. Twenty others were injured in the aggression, dubbed by the occupation army as “Operation Shield and Arrow,” according to Israeli media.
Israeli warplanes hit Gaza Strip, killing 12 Palestinians including children. pic.twitter.com/4wlsOC8CbS
— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) May 9, 2023
The Islamic Jihad warned that the Israeli aggression won’t go unanswered.
“Blood of the martyrs will increase our resolve, resistance will continue,” the resistance group said in a statement.
Watch: “I want my dad..”
A Palestinian girl fearfully cries as her father was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the besieged Gaza Strip while people were peacefully sleeping. pic.twitter.com/SGVd1lLKHb
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 9, 2023
Abu Hamza Statement
Spokesman of Al-Quds Brigades Abu Hamza vowed that the resistance will heroically confront the Israeli aggression against Palestinian people.
In a speech posted on his Telegram channel, Abu Hamza said the Israeli occupation committed flagrant massacre by killing the resistance commanders in Gaza along with their wives and children.
“We pronounce martyrdom of three of our commanders Jihad Ghannam, Khalil Al-Bahitini and Tareq Ezzeddine.”
He pledged allegiance to the martyrs, vowing to follow their path. “Thousands will come after our martyred commanders, as this path shall be ended by the defeat of the occupation.”
Abu Hamza affirmed that the “Israeli terrorist crime won’t but increase the Palestinian people adherence to resistance choice.”
In this context, he called on Palestinian people to rally behind resistance.
The 3 Commanders
The Jerusalem Post identified Bahitini as the commander of the Al-Quds Brigades in the northern Gaza Strip, and the most senior operational commander in the resistance group who was responsible for the rocket fire toward the occupied territories in the past month.
The Israeli media outlet said Ezzeddine was responsible for the communications between the movement and its branches in the West Bank and “for transferring funds and coordinating incitement efforts” in the occupied territories.
“Ghanem was one of the most senior and veteran operatives in the movement and served at one point as the commander of the Al-Quds Brigades in the southern Gaza Strip,” The JPost reported, claiming that in his latest position, Ghanem “was responsible for coordinating the transfer of funds and weapons from the Islamic Jihad to Hamas.”
Shelters Opened
The Israeli occupation military said it conducted the assassinations in three separate locations simultaneously with 40 fighter jets, helicopters and other aircraft.
Following the strikes, Israeli ‘Home Front’ Command has given the go-ahead for settlements bordering Gaza to begin evacuating Israeli settlers, with officials estimating that fighting will last at least three days, Channel 13 outlet reports.
According to the channel, settlements “already have plans drawn up for such an eventuality, along with arrangements for where residents who must leave home for fear of rocket attack can be housed.”
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has okayed the army to call up reserves troops as needed, in any field, The Times of Israel reported.
Hamas Says ‘Israel’ to Pay Price
Hamas politburo head Ismail Haniyeh said Israeli actions won’t bring it security, but rather more violence.
“The enemy made a mistake in its estimations and will pay the price for its crime,” he said.
Haniyeh stressed, meanwhile, that the “resistance is unified,” seemingly indicating that his group will back Islamic Jihad in the coming fight, or will even join in.
Source: Palestinian and Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)
